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Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen
Published by Razorbill
Series: Bright Young Things #2
Source: Review Copy

For the bright young things of 1929, the beautiful days seem endless, filled with romance and heartbreak, adventure and intrigue, friendship and rivalry.
After a month in New York, Cordelia Grey and Letty Larkspur are small-town girls no longer. They spend their afternoons with Astrid Donal at the Greys’ lush Long Island estate and their nights in Manhattan’s bustling metropolis. But Letty’s not content to be a mere socialite. She is ready at last to chase her Broadway dreams—no matter the cost.
Cordelia is still reeling from the death of her father at the hands of Thom Hale, the man she thought she loved. Now she is set to honor Darius Grey’s legacy . . . and take her revenge.
Promised to Cordelia’s half brother, Astrid is caught up in a world of dazzling jewels and glittering nights—and the sparkle is blinding. Charlie Grey is a gangster playing a dangerous game…

The Deeping Secrets is the second book in the Paradise Barn series. The book is just as good as the first in the series drawing you in from the first page and keeping you hooked right through the end.

As I said from the very start of this book you are hooked. In the first chapter a train just coming into Deeping is bombed with the young characters caught in the middle narrowly escaping injury themselves.

The other shock is that it is also revealed that there is, living somewhere in the village, a Nazi Sympathiser who is planning on helping the Nazis when they invade and has been smuggling vital information to the Nazis via carrier pigeon (cue the dramatic dun dun dunnnn!!)

The story itself is a pleasant read. You get back to spending time with the characters you know and love from book one Abigail, Molly and Adam and meet new additions Joe and Edmund. I personally loved little Edmu…

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Published by Razorbill
Source: Review Copy

The first book in Richelle Mead's brand-new teen fiction series - set in the same world as Vampire Academy.

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

*** I have been waiting for Bloodlines since the moment I finished reading the last Vampire Academy book I am so pleased to say that it totally lived up to all my expectations.

There is a library in my house. Before you ask, I do not live in some million square foot abode. I live in two thousand square feet of suburbia. And yet I have a library.

I also have a touch of OCD. Really, a drop of OCD because it only manifests itself in my library. My books are arranged by category, and then by how much I love them. Signed copies are in a special place of honor behind glass. Books I don’t plan on reading again? They get used as furniture. Anna Karenina is currently my coffee table, and if I never have to reread the paperback of Paradise Lost adding height to my couch- I’ll be one happy lady. Curled up in this reading nook, my husband approached me the other day with a package in hand. I ripped it open excitedly, pulling the cellophane off a new deluxe edition of Jane Eyre. My husband clears his throat. “Honey, you have a kindle now- don't you think you should look at getting rid of some of these?” he asked, scanning my bookshelves with wide eyes. …

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them.

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday’s riddles are based in the pop culture he loved—that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest ano…

Panic: The Ultimate Edition by Jeff Abbott
Published by Atom
Source: Review Copy

Evan has a perfect life-until his mother is murdered. Suddenly, he himself is pursued by a circle of killers, only to discover that his entire past has been a lie. With only one chance at survival, and with no one he can trust, he must discover the truth about his family-and who he really is.

*** Panic is a book I would recommend for those who enjoy books like The Da Vinci Code or those written by Harlan Coben. It is fast paced, engaging crime thriller which kept me happily entertained for a few hours.

Evan gets a panicked phone call in the middle of the day from his mother demanding that he comes home instantly. It's totally out of character and strange but he does it anyway. Upon arriving home he gets the feeling something isn't quite right and soon discovers his mother's body laid out on the floor dead and is jumped on by someone and hung up to die.

A modern retelling of the German fairytale "Tristan and Isolde", Tris and Izzie is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until -- she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school.

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
Published by Penguin
Series: The Lorien Legacies #2
Source: Amazon Vine

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Today on Bookcase Showcase we have Bella from Cheezy feet book reviews This is my bookshelf - it's all in alphabetical order (should be) by author's surname. These are my only shelves and I seriously need some new ones...

This is my sad little pile of books that don't fit on my bookshelves anymore... :( On this little shelf above all my other shelves is where I keep my small manga collection (mostly Fruits Basket and Momote Lollipop!) and my Enid Blyton collection hardbacks that I bought all for £4 (ish) each in TK Max. :) There's also my Cat Royal series by Julia Golding hardbacks - I love them, they're amazing and the covers are awesome.

These 3 piles are my to read piles - I keep them here so I can keep track of what I have to read. The pile on the left are all my review books that I haven't read yet, the middle pile is my pile of gifts, RAKs and prizes, and the tall pile on the right are the books that I have bought. My review pile has priority wh…

Haven by Kristi Cook
Published by Simon Pulse
Source: Bought from Amazon

One month into her junior year, sixteen-year-old Violet McKenna transfers to the Winterhaven School in New York’s Hudson Valley, inexplicably drawn to the boarding school with high hopes. Leaving Atlanta behind, she’s looking forward to a fresh start--a new school, and new classmates who will not know her deepest, darkest secret, the one she’s tried to hide all her life: strange, foreboding visions of the future.

But Winterhaven has secrets of its own, secrets that run far deeper than Violet’s. Everyone there--every student, every teacher--has psychic abilities, 'gifts and talents,' they like to call them. Once the initial shock of discovery wears off, Violet realizes that the school is a safe haven for people like her. Soon, Violet has a new circle of friends, a new life, and maybe even a boyfriend--Aidan Gray, perhaps the smartest, hottest guy at Winterhaven.

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheeran
Published by Orion
Challenge: DAC
Source: Review copy

It should have been a short suspended-animation sleep. But this time Rose wakes up to find her past is long gone— and her future full of peril.

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose— hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire— is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose m…

Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink
Published by Atom
Series: Prophecy of the Sisters #3
Source: Review copy

With time dwindling but her will to end the Prophecy stronger than ever, Lia sets out on a journey to find the remaining keys, locate the missing pages of the Prophecy, and convince her sister Alice to help--or risk her life trying. Lia has her beloved Dimitri by her side, but Alice has James, the man who once loved her sister--and maybe still does. James doesn't know the truth about either sister, or the prophecy that divides them. And Alice intends to keep it that way.

There are some secrets sisters aren't meant to share. Because when they do, it destroys them.

*** Circle of Fire is an awesome read and a brilliant end to a series I have enjoyed thoroughly.

I liked several things about this book.

Firstly Lia continues to be an awesome character to follow. I love how she balances both doing what she thinks is right and proper against doing what she has to do. For e…

Riley's beginning to think being a demon trapper isn't all it's cracked up to be. Her dad's been stolen by a necromancer, her boyfriend's gone all weird and she's getting warm and fuzzy feelings for someone who's seriously bad news. It's tempting to give it all up and try to be normal, but that's not an option. Because the demons have plans for Riley. And they're not the only ones

*** Forbidden is the second book in the demon trapper series and for me I found it to be a more satisfying offering than book one.

What I enjoyed
I enjoyed following Riley in this book. I think she is an awesome lead character and I love both her wit and sass in both books. I love how she strives to be the best she can be and competes against the boys in what is quite clearly a man's world and doesn't get disillusioned by it all even when she does get grief for being a girl.
I love Beck and I loved him …

Today on Bookcase Showcase we have Non from Catnip books who is one of the coolest booky people I have met since I've been blogging

I am ridiculously excited about taking part in this feature - thanks Kirsty! As well as bookish ramblings, I have fun game for you... see if you can spot the following: ·An Atlanta Braves baseball ·Asia (yes, the whole continent) ·A coverless book (the Faber Book of Children’s verse, not that you can tell) ·1001 Children’s Books you must read before you grow up - A Player’s Player of the Year football trophy ·

Eighteen months ago when I left for a holiday to New York, this was an empty expanse of wall. Four days later, I came home to discover a set of shelves measured, built and painted by the rather wonderful Massive Dog. Gorgeous, aren’t they?

This is the children’s section (apart from an interloping shelf of travel guides). The classic children’s books are all from my childhood or Massive Dog’s (note the number of repeats in the Beatrix Potter collecti…

One hour to rewrite the past . . .
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.
So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Elise and Franklin have always been best friends. Elise has always lived in the big house with her loving Uncle and Aunt, because Elise's parents died when she was too young to remember them. There's always been a barn behind the house with eight locked doors on the second floor.

When Elise and Franklin start middle school, things feel all wrong. Bullying. Not fitting in. Franklin suddenly seems babyish. Then, soon after her 12th birthday, Elise receives a mysterious key left for her by her father. A key that unlocks one of the eight doors upstairs in the barn...

*** Eight keys is a beautifully written story about friendship, family and belonging. I enjoyed reading it and will certainly be looking to read more of the author's work very soon.

For me this book had two messages.

The first was about family and belonging. Elise lives with Aunt and Uncle after having lost both her parents at a young age. She gets on…

I loved Anna and the French Kiss (even though I was reluctant to try it at first) so I cannot wait for this to come out!!

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.

Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.

In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.

*** I think the most frightening thing about this book is that the events in it could actually happen. At the start of the book you are propelled i…